


Keep You Safe

by 1drabbithole



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Agoraphobia, Bromance, Fear, Friendship, Gen, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-01
Updated: 2012-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-14 22:28:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/520166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1drabbithole/pseuds/1drabbithole
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The crushing crowd freaks Louis out, and Harry comforts him.  (Pre-slash and/or nonexplicit romance.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keep You Safe

**Author's Note:**

> Written in response to [these gifs](http://down-the-1d-rabbit-hole.tumblr.com/post/27558207396/they-could-hear-the-screams-before-paul-even) originally posted by [whattarush](http://whattarush.tumblr.com/post/27518339931). Based on fictionalized portrayals of real people. No harm intended.

They could hear the screams before Paul even opened the car door. Harry’s bubble of excitement left over from the photoshoot — because they hadn’t made Louis stand on the other side of the group for once — cushioned him from the onslaught of girls. Louis crowded behind him as they pushed toward the hotel’s entrance, and it felt good to have him close.

But then Louis’ fingers dug into the soft flesh of Harry’s upper arm hard enough to hurt. Even with the throng of fans screaming their names, Harry could hear Louis suck in a sharp breath.

“Harry,” Louis said softly, gripping him tighter. The whine in his voice made Harry’s smile falter. He was… scared?  
Harry turned his head, trying to see Louis’ face, but there was no room as Paul strong-armed them through to the door. He could feel Lou, though, burying his face against the back of his shoulder. Harry quickly reached back, grabbing a handful of Louis’ shirt with one hand and Louis’ waistband with the other, pulling him closer, not letting them get separated.

Preston held the hotel’s entrance open, and the five of them spilled through into the lobby. The other lads laughed as they escaped the grabbing hands, at the absolute ridiculousness of the situation they found themselves in these days. But their laughs echoed weirdly with Louis still clinging to Harry’s arm. There was a wall of glass shielding them, but it still left them exposed. Harry looked down at Louis’ wide eyes, blinking and shiny as he gaped at the crowd pushing against the windows, and all Harry wanted was to make things better.

“Hey, hey,” Harry said gently, slipping his arm around Louis’ shoulder and hurrying them to the elevator. He jabbed a little frantically at the button and pulled them into the corner to shield them from prying eyes. Louis’ pulse pounded in his chest. Harry tried to remember all of the things that Lou had done for him when he was breaking down — the little touches, the squeezes on his arm, making Harry look into his eyes to see that someone loved him even when the it looked as though rest of the world was judging him harshly.

The doors slid closed and Louis sobbed, covering his face with his hands and trying to turn away. “What the fuck,” he said through his tears. “I don’t know why—”

“Lou, it’s ok. Come on. Come here,” he said, surrounding him with his arms. “I’ll keep you safe, babe.”

Louis looked up at him, uncovering his damp face when he heard Harry use that term of endearment, Louis’ usual pet name for him, and he managed a smile.  



End file.
